visit_bluff_cityfandomcom-20200213-history
A Bowling Alley, A Boxer, and A Bird (Pt 2)
Introduction * Episode on Patreon (must be logged in to Patreon to view Episode Description The Splits, Bluff City - ★★★ (3 Stars) Reviewed by Janey L. Yesterday I realised that I hadn't been bowling for ages and I LOVE bowling! I used to go Bowling down at the McInlay Lanes on 4th but when I went to their website I found they'd closed down after the flood and that's such a dang shame because while their fries were soggy the lanes were great and Mrs. McInlay was always there to talk about where to place your foot, or what was on the television, and for five out of six months in 2009 my friend Mike and I were number 2 on the leaderboard so while I might be a LITTLE biased I miss that place a lot, anyway, I decided to check out The Splits to get my bowling fix and let me tell you guys it's not bad it's not bad at all, it's not great, but like they say in the TV show, "it's not bad!" First: the lights: I was there on galaxy bowling night and it looked like it probably looked great four or five years ago but if i'm honest it had "charm" and that's what I always used to like about McInlay, there was a big pink moon with a happy astronaut on one of those oxygen cords and there were a good number of lanes and a good variety of balls and settings on the lanes, and while I was definitely a bit rusty I had a great time playing a few rounds. I went to get some food and here's where I have to take a star off because the food was really bad and for the whole round I played afterwards (which I won) I felt ill and it was definitely because of the nachos which I was NOT in love with. I want to give The Splits more stars and maybe I'll update my review after I've come back a few times which I definitely will. It wasn't McInlay and I missed Mike a lot but under the light of that big pink moon and the happy astronaut, and the slightly soggy fries and the attendant who told me how to place my foot, and the sound of the balls against the pins, I remembered what it had been like to play with him and it wasn't so bad. Three stars.(edited) This week on Friends at the Table: A Bowling Alley, A Boxer, and A Bird, Pt. 2 Maria S., Manager of The Splits Responded: So glad that you decided to visit and so sorry to h Cold Open A harbour bell hangs in the Bar and Grill attached to the Splits, Bluff City's finest bowling establishment. It's ring is deep, foggy, like the ocean got inside. Metal, but sounds like the wood of an old ship... It ain't the right bell to ring in a fight night - too heavy, too dense - but ain't much right about Bluff City anyway, and it's never stopped anyone in this town before. It ain’t stopping Sonny Veranda, the sire of a crime family he wants nothing to do with, from planning the worst heist in the city's history. It ain't stopping Finnegan Hands, dive shop owner and mentor to Sunny, from helping his friend rob from the richest and most dangerous family in the tri-state. It ain’t stopping the IRS either - every minute brings Tawny Buck and Jodi O'Brien closer and closer to the criminals they're supposed to be taking it down. It ain't stopped that bird either, all red, orange, and anger, sharp talon cruelty... And it's certainly ain't stopping the underground boxer and handyman Doyle MacKeigh from being a pawn in a game he don't understand... that young blood keep going, that pure heart keep beating, keeps pumping fury into punches... shadow boxing in preparation for the biggest fight of the year... Get ready Bluff City... it's Fight Night... and ain’t no one stopping until the final bell rings Characters The character reading out the introduction is not identified, but assumed to be Alexander Millenium Black. Main Characters * Sonny Veranda * Finnegan Hands * Tawny Buck * Doyle McKay * Joni O'Brien (aka Jodi O'Brian) Supporting Characters * Maggie Darcy (Janine/Jack) * Walt Whitaker (Offscreen only) * Ricky Delaney (Austin) * Achilles Apollo (Dre) * Vinny Veranda (Jack) Maggie Darcy was created and controlled by Janine for Pt 1 and for the start of Pt 2, but is then briefly played by Jack during a scene involving both Maggie and Tawny. Three characters from this episode later appear in Messy Business Plot The episode begins after the Tilt has occurred - a mechanic in Fiasco in which two players manufacture an event that goes wrong. These were "A dangerous animal gets loose" and "the thing you stole gets stolen", both established to be the bird. Finnegan steals the bird and just about captures it with Doyle's help, getting injured in the process. Maggie Darcy watches the whole event from a distance. Finnegan and Doyle take the bird (now known as Rupert) to the bowling alley, misunderstanding Sonny's instructions to bring Doyle ''for the weigh-in as bringing ''Rupert for the weigh-in. One of the ringer birds taken from the Zoo in pt 1 is stolen by Tawny's neighbour, Ricky, and she argues with him for it back. During the weigh-in Doyle attempts to make excuses for bird noises in the back, accidentally riling up his opponent Achilles Apollo, who knocks Doyle out cold. Jodi attempts to get in on whatever she assumes Sonny to be doing by claiming to be in love with him. Finnegan tells Tawny he no longer wants to keep Rupert, and so the ringer birds stolen from the zoo are no longer necessary, in the process explaining to Tawny (an undercover IRS officer) the entire underground boxing ring operation. The fight between Doyle and Achilles begins, and is interrupted both by the sudden appearance of the bird as well as the IRS arriving after being inadvertantly tipped off by Finnegan. Sonny makes a break for it, collapsing on the beach and being threatened by Vinny, before being arrested by Jodi. Then the Aftermath occurs, in which each player rolls dice gained throughout the game to determine their outcome. Tawny has the best outcome, going on to own a gym and then eventually embark on a successful career in animal control. Jodi is picked up later by the Whitaker family, and is forced into being one of their henchmen. Finnegan is identified by the Veranda family to be the bird thief, despite Sonny's efforts, and is forced into a submarine and out into the ocean to an unknown fate. Doyle is initially seen celebrating, and the a later timeskip where he inherits Finnegan's store and goes on to sit at Finnegan's grave, discussing his life. Sonny writes postcards to Finnegan, seemingly hopeful of the future, but then falls into working for the Veranda family, a future he desperately tried to avoid.